President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Friday are taking their first trip since the second term inauguration, visiting two parts of the country devastated by natural disasters.
The president and his wife first arrived in the late morning on Air Force One in western North Carolina, where recovery efforts are still ongoing after Hurricane Helene ripped through the area last year.
Later, the Trumps will travel to southern California, which has been rocked by brutal wildfires. The president has threatened to withhold relief from California if it doesn’t reroute water to the southern part of the state. Trump is then scheduled to end the day in Nevada, spending the night ahead of a campaign-style rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Back in Washington, Trump will be addressing via video the 52nd annual March for Life rally to protest against abortion. Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are also on the speaking agenda. And the Senate around 9 p.m. is expected to hold a final confirmation vote for Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon.
Keep up with live updates from across the USA TODAY Network.
Glimpses of the politics behind disaster aid were visible as President Donald Trump visited North Carolina to review damage from Hurricane Helene.
Trump recalled a whistleblower reported that Federal Emergency Management Agency crews refused to help people with Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign signs in their yards. “That’s not good,” the president said.
Trump noted that North Carolina and adjoining Tennessee each supported him in the last election – the Volunteer State slightly more.
The president also called for California to adopt voter ID, to ensure the citizenship of voters, in order to receive disaster aid for its wildfires around Los Angeles.
Throughout his comments at a briefing in Fletcher, North Carolina, Trump cited problems with former President Joe Biden’s response to the disaster that left 104 people in North Carolina dead, 73,000 homes severely damaged or destroyed and Asheville without running water for two months.
“It doesn’t matter at this point: Biden did a bad job,” Trump said.
– Bart Jansen
Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee, whose state abuts North Carolina and was also damaged by Hurricane Helene, attended President Donald Trump’s briefing on the disaster and thanked him.
“The people in this region – including Tennessee, the people of Appalachia – are grateful that you are here and that you haven’t forgotten them,” Lee said. “There are other disasters. This was enormous for both North Carolina and Tennessee.”
Trump joked about which state gave him more votes. “I hate to tell you, North Carolina, it was Tennessee,” the president said.
Lee said one of the counties hurt in the disaster supported Trump with 88% of the vote.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump said the federal security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci, a former head of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease, had been removed Thursday because it can’t last a lifetime and he could hire his own protection
Fauci led the federal health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to harsh criticism from Republicans about studies of the origin of the disease and the lockdowns to combat it during the first year.
“When you work for government, at some point your security detail comes off,” Trump told reporters while visiting storm-damaged North Carolina. “You can’t have them forever.”
Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, and secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, also lost their security details during the first week of his administration.
“They all made a lot of money, they can hire their own security, too,” Trump said.
– Bart Jansen
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who is from North Carolina, announced he would help guide recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene with three House Republicans from the region with the most damage.
The lawmakers are GOP Reps. Chuck Edwards, Virginia Foxx and Tim Moore.
Trump announced that Whatley would lead the recovery effort with Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump said on Friday he would like to see two changes in California – the adoption of voter ID and the redirection of water from the northern part of the state to the south – in exchange for disaster aid for wildfires.
Trump said he wanted voter identification to ensure the citizenship of voters. He also repeated his complaint that the state should divert funding from the Sacramento-San Jaoquin Delta to Los Angeles to fight fires.
“I want two things,” Trump told reporters upon his arrival in Asheville, North Carolina. “After that, I will be the greatest president California has ever seen.”
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump said his proposal for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to reduce the price of oil is key to stopping the war in Ukraine.
“We want to see OPEC cut the price of oil and that will automatically stop the tragedy that’s taking place in Ukraine,” Trump said in Asheville, North Carolina. “It’s a butchering tragedy, for both sides, by the way.”
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump said a key to stopping the war is for OPEC to cut its prices because “if you have it high, that war is not going to end so easily.”
“OPEC ought to get on the ball and they ought to drop the price of oil and that war will stop right away,” Trump said.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump told reporters in Asheville, North Carolina, the federal government would supply “a lot of the money” to repair damage from floods and landslides after Hurricane Helene.
Trump also proposed to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency so that states respond to their own disasters rather than the federal government.
“We’re going to fix it as fast as we can,” Trump said. “It’s a massive amount of damage.”
Trump said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who is from North Carolina, and Democratic Gov. Josh Stein would work on plans for demolition of damaged buildings and cleaning up debris. Trump said the federal government would probably provide 75% of the funding.
“We’re going to supply the money, a lot of the money,” Trump said.
Trump said he would review “the whole concept of FEMA” because states such as Florida with hurricanes and Oklahoma with tornadoes are better at responding to disasters.
“I’d like to see the states take care of disasters,” Trump said. “I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive – less than half – and you’re going to get a much quicker response.
– Bart Jansen
Sen. Adam Schiff, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, said he’s glad Trump is visiting Los Angeles to tour the wildfire damage but that he and Sen. Alex Padilla have votes scheduled and couldn’t attend.
“I’m glad that he’s going to see the devastation because I think, frankly, until you see it and the scope of the it – whole neighborhoods gone block after block after block – it’s hard to wrap your head around,” Schiff told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
But Schiff said he hoped Trump and congressional Republican wouldn’t put conditions on funding for disaster aid.
“We’ve never done that when it comes to our fellow citizens who are hurting,” Schiff said. “And California, frankly, has been the most generous state in terms of supporting our fellow citizens, whether they’re in red states or blue when they face disaster.”
Schiff said overhauling the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as Trump has suggested, are areas that could lead to bipartisan support.
“All of that is ample ground to get together and make things happen,” Schiff said.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump said he didn’t invite Sen. Adam Schiff, a frequent Democratic critic, on the trip to areas of Los Angeles damaged by wildfires.
“Is he going? I don’t know. I mean, I really don’t know,” Trump said. “You know, if he’s going to be there it would be cheaper, but I didn’t invite him. Somebody did.”
Schiff, D-Calif., has asked that disaster aid for California not come with strings attached, after Republicans suggested potential restrictions on the funding. Schiff is a former member of the U.S. House who previously led the first impeachment of Trump over his dealings with Ukraine and has questioned whether his nominees to become Cabinet secretaries will act independently from him.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump said he would be watching the “March for Life” in Washington as he traveled to North Carolina and California to visit disaster areas. He said Vice President JD Vance would represent the administration “very well.”
“I’m going to be watching it,” Trump said. “He’s going to be representing us very well.”
Trump also noted that he pardoned 23 people who he said were “unjustly” charged for protesting outside abortion clinics.
“It was disgraceful what happened,” Trump said.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump praised his nominee to lead the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, as a “good man” but didn’t predict what would happen with his Senate confirmation vote scheduled for late Friday.
“He’s a good man. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Trump said. “I hope he makes it.”
GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against limiting debate on the nomination. Trump also questioned whether Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would support Hegseth because Trump and McConnell have had disputes in the past.
“I was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that,” Trump said.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday morning outside the White House that he’s going to North Carolina because the state has been treated badly since Hurricane Helene and to California where he said the wildfires should have been extinguished already.
“North Carolins is a horrible thing the way that’s been allowed to fester. It should have been done months ago,” Trump said. “North Carolins has been treated very badly.”
Trump will visit Los Angeles later in the day to hear about the wildfires.
“We’re going to take a look at the fire if they let the water flow, but they didn’t let the water flow,” Trump said.
– Bart Jansen
President Donald Trump left the White House by helicopter at 9:16 a.m. for his tour of disaster areas in North Carolina and California on Friday. Here’s where he is going (all times Eastern Standard Time):
11 a.m. in Fletcher, N.C.: Trump will receive a briefing on the recovery from Hurricane Helene, which flooded much of western North Carolina in September. Participants include a handful of lawmakers, state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler; state House Speaker Dustin Hall; and Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse.
12:05 p.m. in Swannanoa, N.C.: Trump meets with families affected by the hurricane. Participants include Ramona Nix, pastor of Eagle Rock Church; and people who received benefits from Samaritan’s Purse: homeowners Chris and Kim West; Thomas Bright and Jackie Mitchell; and Curtis A., Amber and Curtis B. Wright.
1:15 p.m. Trump leaves Asheville Regional Airport on a flight to Los Angeles.
5:40 p.m. Trump arrives at Los Angeles International Airport.
6:25 p.m. Trump tours the Pacific Palisades Neighborhood. Participants include Fire Capt. Jeff Brown; Jason Hing, chief deputy of emergency services for the Fire Department; and homeowners Mike and Gaby Shaw.
7:05 p.m. Trump receives an emergency briefing in Pacific Palisades. Other participants include Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass; Ric Grenell, presidential envoy for special missions; Randy Moore, chief of the U.S. Forest Service; Kathryn Barger, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; and Ed Ring, director of water and policy for the California Policy Center; and a dozen House members.
8:20 p.m. Trump leaves for Los Angeles airport.
8:50 p.m. Trump flights to Las Vegas, where he will spend the night.
–Bart Jansen
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday announced that Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants was underway.
“Deportation flights have begun,” she wrote on X. “President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”
Leavitt also included two photos of people boarding military aircrafts.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is planning to meet President Donald Trump on the tarmac of Asheville Regional Airport during Trump’s visit to Western North Carolina, according to The Citizen-Times, a USA TODAY Network partner.
Earlier in the week, Stein, a Democrat, said Trump’s planned visit to western North Carolina, which was ravaged by Tropical Storm Helene nearly four months ago, was “very good news” for the region’s residents. The storm killed more than 100 people across the state and caused an estimated $60 billion in damage, according to the latest estimate from the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management.
– Asheville Citizen-Times
Trump’s disaster-area tour begins around 10 a.m. ET on his first trip away from Washington. First comes a late morning visit to hurricane-damaged Asheville, North Carolina.
He’ll then be wheels up on Air Force One in the early afternoon, heading west to Los Angeles and Santa Monica to visit areas ravaged by multiple wildfires. Trump is expected to reach California around 6:15 p.m. ET.
The president ends his Friday with a flight to Las Vegas, where he’ll spend the night before hosting a downtown rally on Saturday. Trump won Nevada in 2024 after losing it four years earlier, and he recently told reporters he wanted to “thank them for the votes.”
A video message from the president will also play at the annual March for Life rally by pro-life advocates on Capitol Hill this morning. Vice President JD Vance will address the crowd during the rally in his first public appearance in his new role.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday blocked Trump’s administration from implementing an executive order curtailing the right to automatic birthright citizenship in the United States, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.”
U.S. District Judge John Coughenour at the urging of four Democratic-led states issued a temporary restraining order preventing the administration from enforcing the order, which the Republican president signed on Monday during his first day on office.
The order has already become the subject of five lawsuits by civil rights groups and Democratic attorneys general from 22 states, who call it a flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution.
– Reuters
The Senate easily confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe with a bipartisan 74-25 vote Thursday afternoon, making him the second of Trump’s cabinet picks to clear the chamber after Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ratcliffe previously served as the director of national intelligence during the first Trump administration.
– Riley Beggin
